The Olde Bar Reviews

I have been there for an event to taste parings of traditional Phily food and wine . The bar is in a historic building in Philadelphia , olde town. The bar has been there for a long time. You feel the great tradition when you are in. One of the servants, a bit clumsy, throw mayonnaise over me. Without even looking at me or offering excuses.

We were for just a drinks but finally we order for dinner. The food was good, the better was the diferents beer thay have. The made a mistake on my dish- bring me a different dish- but they solved quickly.

The Bride & Groom booked the restaurant for a private party. What a great place to do this. Food was good, and the drinks fun.

The overall experience was well above average. Seated promptly and the evening began. All menus for wine to food are small but not limiting. The raw bar is a wonderful addition. Our server was experienced and not visible, always there at the correct moment. Dishes/glasses would be gone without our realizing he had been there. He was amazing at the service level.

Came for happy hour - 24 Wonderful Maryland Oysters for 1$ each!! Cauliflower bites, fish and chips, burgers all amazing! Great service- eclectic atmosphere. Will definitely go back.

We enjoyed our meal here at the home of the original Bookbinders. It was an easy ride from NJ and on-street parking was readily available. Our server was pleasant and knowledgable about the menu. Their drink selection was extensive. Added bonus was the fact that we were able to enjoy the $1 happy hour raw bar and reduced priced drinks before our dinner. Food was delicious. In all honesty, this was THE best wedge salad I have ever had ... roasted tomatoes, croutons made from fresh-baked parkerhouse rolls, shredded egg and pickled onions served with a phenomenal lemon buttermilk dressing. We will be returning.

Nostalgia reigns when you dine at the Olde Bar, once part of one of Philadelphia's oldest and well known restaurants. The food is very good, as are the drinks and the retro ambiance!

Go for the oysters and the cocktails; stay for a delicious dinner. Great atmosphere, friendly, professional servers.

We decided to branch our from our favorite Oyster Bar and try The Olde Bar. Mistake. We were seated promptly at a micro table outside. We ordered oysters and clams on the half shell, 2 turtle soups, Caesar salad, deviled eggs and the crab fries. All of them arrived at the same time, but before our drinks. We were placed in the uncomfortable position of having to ask the food runner to hold on to the salad because there was no room. She didn't know what to do, so we had to rapidly eat our oysters to allow room on the table. The food was okay not great. We chose The Olde Bar specifically for the turtle soup which was lukewarm but had a nice flavor. When we finished a dish we literally had to place our dirty dishes on the curb because no one was around to clear the table. The staff repeatedly walked by our table and ignored the dirty plates. The dessert arrived and still the dirty salad plate sat on the table. The food runner just left it there. To be fair, there were 2 servers with a lot of tables. However, I counted 4 hostesses/managers? at the host stand, and 2 food runners. I would have spoken to someone about our experience but our Uber driver arrived and I just wanted to get out of there. Management needs to step it up and teach some Restaurant 101 to the staff. We will not be back.

My wife and I got reservations to enjoy happy hour here (after being told how busy it can get). Atmosphere: Clean with the "old" bar feel. Candles were burning on the bar and the walls had pictures of "back in the day." Staff: We were immediately seated by a very friendly host and hostess. Our server was friendly and cheerful, answering our many questions with a smile. Drinks: The Boulivardier was delicious -- well made and the Campari was not overpowering. The Bees Knees was very refreshing and not too sweet -- even with orange blossom instead of lavender because it was out. Food: The raw oysters had a clean taste -- not preshuck sitting in water -- we especially like the grated horseradish. The Crab Fingers were good, but they were sitting in just garlic-butter along with the bread -- wouldve been nice to have it on the side to "dip" as much or as little as we wanted. The Olde Bar fries were OK, the fries were cooked well, but the fondue was just on the middle of the fries and there was not very much. Likewise for the crabmeat which was just a few pieces for a huge bowl of fries. Overall: Def a nice spot to have a drink and enjoy some easy apps. Nothing out of the ordinary here -- I would go again, but not a "must return to asap" either.

Great place for an ale and a walk into colonial America. I did not eat... but the food looked great.

Went early for happy hour, hostess was not pleasant, nor gracious, had attitude that made us uncomfortable. Food was not good. For starters we had oysters, some were the buck a shuck and some were the higher priced, all were opened earlier. They were dried out, luke warm and had a very metallic taste, surely not freshly shucked, so we sent them back. We also ordered the lobster roll, at $28, it was the size of a half sandwich, very small. The roll was not toasted, and sandwich was soggy, so disappointing! At no time did a manager come over to apologize for the inadequacies of the kitchen. Our server was very nice, but management was non existent and it showed in food and poor customer service . Do not waste your money here, Positano and Zahav are close by, much better food there! I will never go back

Went to happy hour on a Saturday. Had the oysters and various things from the happy hour menu. It was fantastic! I would highly recommend this eatery. The staff was wonderful and service was great despite being very busy.

This place was recommended by a few people in Philly so we gave it a try....save your $$...the worst experience in dining and with people during our visit. The welcome was anything but that, the waitress had a major attitude and the food was bland. There are many other places to eat at that would appreciate your business.

This is my third visit but my first time in the dining room instead of the bar. There is outside seating. We got oysters, an apple salad, and the snapper tartar to start, all were delicious. I got the tamarind glazed lobster and absolutely loved it. Service really good. I'll definitely be back.

Saw place outside my hotel window. Looked inviting. Sat at bar, was HH. Bartenders very friendly and prompt. Ordered a Fiur Roses bourbon old fashioned. 6 oysters on the half shell and a shrimp cocktail. Drink delicious. Oysters fresh and delicious. Shrimp cocktail tasty.

Came here for dinner, two couples, and enjoyed a fabulous dinner and service! Best part after the wonderful food was the nice, quiet enviornment that allowed us to actually carry on a conversation! Strongly recommend this for seafood lovers and people who appreciate great food and service!

The service was good , the atmosphere was great and the bartender and wait staff did a good job welcoming folks from out of town. The oysters was from NJ, "Delaware Bay" clean and big. The raw bar was great for $1.00, it was well worth it.

Colleagues and I met here and we really liked it. I love when a place offers food and drink specials at happy hour. I love places even more when they also have happy hour 7 days a week. Cheers! We'll be back at the Olde Bar when we're back in town.

Omg!! This is our to go spot when in Philip Old City area! The staffs, the location, the vibes, the drinks, the food!!!! EVERYTHING was Good! Aron, Andrew and Steve were the best bartenders at the bar area! Heyyyy guys! My husband and I loved it there! We went there on June 30th Friday and we ended up going back the next day! The bartender selection drink was amazing!!!! Try them! The crabs fingers were to die for! We had some both days! The raw oysters 🦪 were also good! Omg I have noooo complaints! Our new favorite spot!

A very pleasant meal in a pleasant old landmark. Excellant drinks and food with responsive service. Menu is somewhat limited, but still good. Try the turtle snapper soup, a tradition from Bookbinders.

7.28.18 Really sad as the place is no longer called B.B. so it is really not the legacy place everyone knew. The old bar is serving seafood but the restaurant part is closed up, only the olde Bar remains open to the public . Legacy destroyed. the Doctor Hit me with some BIG LOVE ❤️💕 and a helpful VOTE!

The service was excellent. I would skip their martinis and mixed drinks as they are overpriced and under impressive for size and mixology. Beer was ok but can’t mess that up too bad. I do have to say the crab fingers were awesome.

This was our first visit to Olde Bar and we enjoyed it - the happy hour prices are good (otherwise very pricey) as is the food. Our server was delightful - friendly and helpful - full of suggestions and attentive without getting in our way. The restaurant is really small and we felt jammed in, even though we had a nice booth (not very comfortable). Food was very good - deviled eggs and welsh rarebit off of the happy hour menu were both delicious - portions are small though. For non-happy hour fare we tried the clam chowder, the fish and chips and the oyster po boy. All were excellent, tasted great and were prepared fresh. The Baked Alaska for dessert was underwhelming. Cocktails were strong and they had interesting choices. We enjoyed the House Punch ($6 on the happy hour menu). Good restaurant - we will try it again.

Visited Philadelphia for 4 nights. Ate here EVERY night!!! Now I can't wait to go back to Philadelphia so I can eat here every night again! Food and drink was fantastic. People were even better. This is a beautiful old place that is still getting good love from the current team. Everything I had was done extremely well. You can not go wrong at this classic!

Just dropped in for a drink but we thoroughly enjoyed out time there. Had a New Orleans feel, great music and friendly service.

We ate here on a Friday during Happy Hour with fresh oysters buck a schuk. Soooo good. Then had a very relaxing, quiet dinner. Alot of the restaurants are very noisy this one was peaceful. I completely enjoyed the crab cake as entree. Other diner's we're happy with their entree's of Artic char and lobster. Reservations a good idea.

Went there for Happy Hour and we were happy! Made a 4:30pm reservation on a Sunday. Charming decor; Great selection of cocktails and very well crafted; a thumbs up to the bartender. We sat at the high tables by the bar. We ordered beers, cocktails, raw oysters, fried oysters, crab fries, and was given a complementary fried cauliflower. They were fresh, hot, and delish. We also ordered from their plate's menu of crab cake, lobster roll, lobster pot pie and burger. Crab cake was ok, nice and light. Lobster pot pie was like where's the lobster? lobster roll was prepared with mayo, was not too bad according to my daughter. Hostess was very friendly and so was our waiter. Overall, a good time.

This is an interesting place, but as the name says, it's more of a bar than a restaurant. The atmosphere is interesting, they have a nice after work crowd, and we enjoyed our time there but opted to have an appetizer then go find a real restaurant for dinner.

Our party of four enjoyed our selections at The Olde Bar. Three of us had the fish and chips and they were crisp, not at all oily and lightly seasoned. I had the burger and it was excellent. Cooked to the perfect temp, juicy and topped with melted cheese. Our cocktails were very good as well. The atmosphere of the extra dining room where we were seated isn't anything special. In fact, the red and white table cloths say "old Italian restaurant" more than Olde Bar. I would recommend you reserve a table in the bar where you'll feel the old Bookbinders come to life. Overall this was a very good experience but not special enough to make us return.

Went without a reservation. Accommodating but limited menu. Waiter took my drink before i finished and then had the nerve to ask me if i wanted another. ok food. overrated.

We were deciding were to to for Christmas Eve and we decided to eat at the Olde Bar at Bookbinders. The room takes you back to another time with beautiful wood panels on the wall , tin ceiling, tiled floors and a great wood bar that has probably been around before the Original Bookbinder's opened. We were going to a movie at 7:00 and arrived at 6:00 to have Happy Hour. The oysters were great-fresh and large served with three dipping sauces. I know, I know why have meat at a seafood restaurant but we did, It was a 20 ounce rib eye. My friend and I split and she liked it but I thought I have had better. It came with six asparagus stalks, and crab meat Oscar style. We asked for a side of mushrooms as and the sauce was fantastic.I have had better steaks for $48.00. They were accommodating and split it in the kitchen. It was just the right amount to eat after downing a couple of dozen oysters. We split a dessert and made it to the movie. the bartender mixing two different drinks at a time was a treasure to watch. There is an extensive cocktail list Service was not great for a quiet night. I would select fish for a return visit.

We had one mushroom n’ gravy (over fried and over salted) and one lobster risotto (very small lobster, no sauce, and rice was not cooked…not a risotto at all). Plus I asked if lobster risotto was gluten free and waitress said as long as rice wasn’t gluten it was….

Best crab cake cocktail, service excellent. Love the decor. Enjoyed the animal head caricatures. Great place to stop in when there are no more tours.

Stopped in for drinks and oysters before dinner. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was relaxing. We'll be back!

We come here for the happy hour buck-a-shuck at least once a month. We are never disappointed! The food and drinks are great!

Went to have cocktails at the bar and found the bartender not friendly , there was little interest in explaining the menu and he made us feel unwelcome. It was pretty empty in there so I wonder if the attitude is the culprit ?

Don't believe the hype that because the restaurant is in a part of the old Bookbinders restaurant. The food was so salty it was barely edible, the space is tiny, the service is ok. But would definitely not go back

A warm woody atmosphere with great drinks. When they can make the basics right, a Manhattan and a Vieux Carré, you've walked into the right place. Had reservations elsewhere but on my list for a meal next time, with a few oysters.

Very nice decor inside with stamped tin ceiling and long dark wood bar. Marble center tables. Nice staff, quick service, very nice Old Fashioned. Fresh seafood and $1 oysters during happy hour. A nice, quiet place to recharge a bit, have some food and drink and rest your feet from all the walking. Recommended

Went for dinner,were seated immediately.Waitress was very competent, knew the menu well.We had crab cakes that came with a side if watercress salad.Very good.

great looking place , large tables w/ table cloth, strong cutlery, and cloth napkins. Love the happy hour and everything on that menu, drinks and all.the dessert is real good when fresh, just good when it's a day old.

We were a bit early for our dinner at the nearby City Tavern, so we dropped in at the Olde Bar for a drink. They have several signature cocktails and I just had to try the one with home made orange marmalade and other citrus. It was very good. The interior is old fashioned and gave the whole place lots of charm.

The original Bookbinders. Still has it's old charm. Went there for happy hour and found gold mine. Great drinks for happy hour prices. Best deal for food during happy hour was oysters on the half shell $1.00 a piece. Excellent

Make no mistake - this ISN'T the old Bookbinders. It is however, the bar that used to be part of that place. That being said, the restaurant is perfect for seafood lovers (especially) but also has a selection of fish and chicken. We went in early July 2017 with no expectations and were REALLY happy. We stuck to a good selection of appetizers; wedge salad, oysters, 1/2 cold lobster and clam chowder. Everything was amazing - especially the chowder which we thought could actually be called a bisque. We did find the wine a bit expensive for what it was. Our waiter was friendly but not overbearing and really polite. I'm only sorry we didn't learn his name. We'd highly recommend!

We enjoyed appetizers and drinks even though the bar was full, we were seated in the restaurant for the happy hour. The cocktails were terrific and the service was exceptional. I had my favourite, snapper soup and it was served with a froth of sherry, Delicious. My wife loved the crab fingers.

Choose to visit during Restaurant Week bc the restaurant was unfamiliar to us. I had to keep an open mind bc it's located in the old Bookbinders location and the food there was horrible for many years. So happy that we went... each entree was delicious.... if make your reservations between 5-7 you're there for Happy Hour what a bonus!

What we thought was going to be a great seafood dinner at Bookbinder’s turned out to be an expensive mediocre meal at this place. Absolutely NOT worth it. Had a few lobster suggestions but only a salmon or scallops seafood platter. The salmon portion was small and overly salted accompanied with a vegetable of unknown origin. Some greens were thrown into the plate to take up space. Skip this place if you visit Philadelphia.

They've really degraded the happy hour. Prosecco no longer included and oysters were as big as my palm. No brine at all. Too bad, this used to be one of our favorite stops.

I had always wanted to go to Bookbinders but I never made it there before they closed. The beautiful building was vacant for a long long time and i would often walk buy and peek through the windows and wonder what it was like. When it turned into the Olde Bar i was skeptical because of the name but since the outside still looked impeccably beautiful we went in and had drinks at the bar. The bar was nice with comfortable chairs and there are booth seating along the opposite wall. There are high top marble tables that seat four people each with stool seating all throughout the center. When i got home i joined the mailing list and one day I received an email that it was National Lobster Day on June 15th and for $10 lobster rolls- count me in! They have Lobster Rolls for $26 on other days for $16 off, i was really psyched. We had the buffalo cauliflower and a fry starter that had a seafood sauce with chunks of crab and we ordered three lobster rolls. Everything was amazing. I can't wait to go back! The service was great the ambiance is nice (we luckily got a booth) and the food was delicious. I don't understand how there can be any negative reviews for this place. I'm marking my calendar for National Lobster Day again next year!

Wow!! So impressed! We came to Olde Bar for Snapper Soup, but it is not gluten free and had to eat other things. Poor us.....Lump Crab Cocktail and Beef Fat fries for starters. The fries tasted like fries dipped in the juices left over from your steak. Best fries I have EVER eaten! My husband and I split the crab Benedict. Huge pieces of lump crab on top of a perfectly poached egg. I could not eat the English muffin, but my husband used them to soak up every last drop of the Hollandaise sauce! Only drawback is the mimosas are not bottomless. If they were, I may have never left!!!

One of our first stops on our long weekend in Philly. Located right in the heart Old Town and close to all the major historic sites. The best happy hour for oysters. Also recommended the shrimp and cheese fries!

I am a fan of Garces other places and I was a fan of Old Bookbinders. I decided to drop by to check out the spot and was pleased with how it felt comfortable (high-top tables & large bar area). The decor could use a makeover, but we came for the drinks and food- so that won't stop me from enjoying van establishment if it is fairly priced. Me and friends had some cocktails and a few drafts during our visit. We asked about the raw and was told about buck-a-shucks at happy hour...so will be back for that for sure. We had a few small bites- deviled eggs and beef fat fries and Iceberg Wedge. The food was average, but I will give it a pass because it is not main dishes..entrees. I will be back to sample more on the menu and have more drinks. I am happy that the Philly Institution of Bookbinders is living on through The Olde Bar's new flavor!

We stopped in for a drink on a recent visit to Philadelphia and ended up staying for dinner because of the ambiance and service. Wonderful little spot with an amazing array of oysters and a full menu with lots of variety. Try the Olde Bar fries, just amazing.

As part of a family wedding weekend we all went to the historic Bookbinders. What a great time. Great food and history and they fed us like kings and queens. Every city has some place that is part of its lore and for Philly its Bookbinders. It's a place that everyone should at least see and experience once in their lives.

Had dinner here for restaurant week. Service is like molasses and the food is just so-so. Not bad but not great. But mostly the people working here are so bored and disinterested that you hardly want to be here. It is unlike all the other Garces restaurants in that his places are using forward thinking, fun and with a pleasant vibe. Not this one! Skip it and find one of the other great places nearby.

One of the things that drives me crazy is when a restaurant has an amazing old atmosphere and then ruins it with televisions and modern music. As far as I remember, there were NO TVs! The whole thing is super cool: exterior, interior, the bar, the ceiling, everything. The food was good (a bit expensive), and the service was nice. But I'd return here for the atmosphere. The drink list is somewhat extensive and the descriptions don't have anything to do with the drink, so there's a lot of time wasted when going through the menu. "Spirited Away - in Miyazaki's movie, people are turned into monsters, hope that doesn't happen to you when you drink this!" ...Kay? Then beneath is a list of the ingredients, which includes green tea. They have green tea in Japan, and the movie Spirited Away was from Japan...is the whole connection as far as I could tell.

Went there for a wedding reception with a little over 100 people, not enough room for that size crowd, took 20 minutes to get a drink it was so crowded during an awful cocktail hour which had only a few and not good appies including less than bite size mozzarella. Dinner was tasteless and small portions, they don't even put salt, pepper and butter on table. We couldn't wait to leave to go somewhere and get something to eat.

Oysters, Crab Remoulade, best cocktails crab and Brie dip great to share. Bartenders and servers do a great job walk-in and find a new great Olde Town Place #Oldebar

Had the Buck for a Shuck for the oysters here in happy hour, and they were delish!! My boyfriend didn't like the idea of oysters, by this deal meant he was willing to give it a go - the result was that he now likes east coast New Jersey oysters!! Good beer selection too for happy hour! Definitely recommend!!!

Our food didn’t really taste of anything - both entrees were quite bland. They don’t provide bread or have guest WiFi, which seemed unusual for a restaurant in this price range. The layout of the building is also quite unusual, which meant there was no atmosphere where we were sitting. It was all a bit disappointing.

Recently spent a wonderful evening at this list to have a cement in downtown Philly. From the name, you never would have dreamed it would be a great selling for a wedding reception. I’m sure people come here for the bar scene and the history. From the outside you’d never know that they have a huge room that can be used for large parties. It was a great set up because people kept cycling in and out of the bar area and back into the dining room. If you wanted to get away from the hoopla for a few minutes and have a conversation with a friend or two it was perfect. Not to mention the food and drink were well above average.

We hosted our son's wedding rehearsal dinner at the Olde Bar, Vessal Room this past weekend. Chris, the venue manager, was amazing! I wasn't happy with the contact I worked with ( he didn't return my last emails, and all prior emails took several days to get a reply) but Chris saved the day and made the event amazing! The room was set up perfectly, they received our deliveries and set them up beautifully, the servers were wonderful, the food delicious, and, to top it off, they cut and boxed the grooms cake to go, at no charge (normally a $3 per person charge) as a gift to us! A great move as we spent lots of $ over our contract on drinks! Wow! I give the venue-and Chris, an A+++++++++! Would definitely use again and again. Jose Garces venue that lived totally up to his standards and food! Wonderful! Thanks, Chris! You deserve a raise!!

Great old time cocktails. Good for people watching. Very pleasant and accommodating . Stopped on our way to dinner and wanted to stay.

The burger here is awesome! Great neighborhood bar atmosphere. Staff was very attentive, food came out quick, hot and very good presentation. Would definitely recommend this place.

This was so disappointing. This was one of my favorite restaurants for years when I would travel here on a monthly basis. I specifically stayed at the hotel next door so I could eat here. It has so badly diminished. The food was just fair and a very limited menu, the bar was slow getting drinks put out and they weren't very good when they got there. The Saving Grace was the excellent service by Rodney! If it were not for that it would have been an entire loss. I will not be back.

This is also known as the Old Bar, because when you first come in, you are in a wonderful dark wood pub-like bar. Very cozy. The restaurant area is to the side, and there is event space available as well. The menu is varied with lobster, crab, risotto, to mention a few. You will need reservations, but the wait staff was really good and the prices are decent.

Birthday dinner for my g.f. during a long weekend visiting Philadelphia. I moved away from the area over 40 years ago without ever eating here though it had an excellent reputation then, and it still does for very good reason as I discovered. The food and service were excellent and the prices are as one would expect. We started with shrimp cocktails and I had char and my g.f. had the crab cake. All of the food was excellent.

Wasn't on our list, but a friend and I walked by during a day trip from NYC and decided to sit for a drink and appetizer. Good wine, the food (cheap appetizers so we order a couple). Wasn't going to have dessert here, but they had THE BEST watermelon and feta granita. The service was the quickest but it was fast enough (we had to get back on the bus back to NYC in time) and the waiter was nice and helpful. The hostess wasn't the friendliest, but we're from NYC, so honestly- who cares? We interacted with her once so it wasn't a make or break situation. The granita and good prices was worth the quick visit! Didn't get to go inside of course but it looked gorgeous from what we could see.

Came on a Thursday night and the place was crowded although we were seated immediately. We got there right before the (good value) drink specials ended, so we got our drink orders in right away at the suggestion of our waitress. This restaurant is in the Historic Bookbinder's Building, which I know nothing about. Convenient to Penn's Landing and the historic buildings near there. Enjoyed the clam chowder - and we also enjoyed the appetizer of the cheese fries (which helpfully come with a fork). I couldn't decide between the clams and the mussels, and went with the mussels on the waitress' recommendation - good choice (although one in our party had the clams, which were also good). The mussels have chorizo in the mix, which presented a great offset to the mussels.

Another great restaurant in the Jose Graces group. We went on the recommendation of the bartender at Amada. The manager waited on us ensuring that our visit was perfect. Great The oysters are amazing.

We arrived after the Army/Navy game without a reservation and were told they were full. But after a few minutes the Mgr. seated us in the bar area. We shared a table but that's ok! A glass of wine and a delicious crab cake and we were on our way.

It's really nice to see Philadelphia dining landmarks repurposed and here the Garces team has done just that with the defunct Bookbinders space. It's comfy cozy (i.e. tiny) and caters to a wide range of guests. We were there for an early dinner and saw families with small children & infants, couples, tourists and groups of friends. Seating is limited to some booths along the wall, a series of marble hi-top tables and bar seating. Music is a little loud but the night we were there the music was a nice mix of Motown and R&B. So it's super casual and not stuffy at all. The big draw here is shellfish and they put together some really impressive looking platters. Being allergic to shellfish, I can't speak to their raw bar game but my husband and I split a hefty wedge salad with pickled onion and tangy buttermilk dressing which (thank you very much) they serve on the side. He had the fish and chips and I had the burger. Both entrees were served with good fries. With 3 drinks (loved the botanical tasting PImms Cup) our meal came to $100 with tax and tip. Service was good, if sometimes harried. If you can't sit on a backless stool which was the seating at their hi-top tables, I'd suggest requesting a booth when making your reservation.

Nice old pub. Nice attentive staff. Only had one item, the shrimp cocktail. One word: Awful. What is the chef thinking about? Enough said.

Good happy hour and drink selection. We went there for happy hour and enjoyed oysters and outdoor seating. Oysters were good but other items on happy hour menu were just ok. The floradora gin drink was yummy

I'll start this review by telling the readers that my mom's family, the Taxins, owned Old Original Bookbinders in Philadelphia...the space now occupied by the Olde Bar. The current restaurant occupies the bar section of the old restaurant which was our favorite section of the old Bookbinders to eat in. I grew up in this restaurant. The space is very nice and retains much of the same atmosphere and charm of the old space. We were very pleased with the service, the quiet, and loved the food. My crab cake was excellent creamy, flavorful, and almost all jumbo lump and no filler. We also loved the Olde Bar Fries. My uncle John ran this place for many years and I think he would be happy that it's in such good hands.

The Olde Bar pays homage to Philadelphia's historic Bookbinder's building with a lush setting good for any first date. The happy hour includes a staff choice draft for $4 while the raw bar offers East and West Coast oysters. The cowboy rib eye is intimidating at 20 ounces so a better bet might be the Old Bar Burger.

It's nice that the old Bookbinders restaurant has been partially restored, but frankly, I expected more from this place. Pros: great location, a piece of Philly history, tasty chowder and fun bar scene. Cons: aloof service, delays in placing orders and receiving drinks and food, unwelcoming attitude from the host and wait staff (nicest of all was our busboy). Here's hoping this place will dial down the self-importance and bring back some of that Bookbinders graciousness and warmth.

Stopped in on Father's Day about 7:30, sat at the bar. The 7th game of Cleveland and Golden State was on the TVs... a decent bar crowd was settled in for the game. Good bartender, fast drink service. Looked over the menu and specials for the night, the lobster mac & cheese appetizer seemed worth a try. I've had it 2 times before at other restaurants - not too impressed. Here at the Olde Bar... it was great! The pasta was very good, there were pieces of lobster and there was another flavor, maybe brown butter, maybe very finely chopped bacon, I don't know, but when my friend and I finished, we thought about seconds, but common sense prevailed. It was $18, but worth every penny. I miss Bookbinder's but The Olde Bar continues the tradition of fine food.

I had great expectations for this restaurant. I have dined at Amada and Tinto and very much enjoyed the experience. Not so here. I have no complaint about our waitress who was attentive and knowledgeable. That's the good news. The food was good, but too overdressed. We ordered the suggested appetizer and the food runner dropped 2 appetizer plates and 2 forks in the middle of the table and scooted away. We were told that the wines by the glass were also available by the bottle at 5xs the glass price, really? I added points for our waitress and the fact that we are still in a pandemic, but the other restaurants we dined at handled it spectacularly. Sorry. Bookbinders is frowning.

Chef Jose Garces knocks it out of the park again!! We went to Armada and celebrated our anniversary and loved it and decided to experience the Olde Bar for another anniversary. We love old city Philly. If you can get there between 4-6 on Saturday nights it happy hour. Buck a shuck oysters are as fresh as you can get!! The buffalo cauliflower is awesome, it has a buffalo / butter milk ranch sauce. The cauliflower is roaster but still crunchy!! You have to get the Olde Bar Fries!! The crab cake is very good and different. Its and 8 oz cake and not much filler basically lump and special crabmeat with a lemon sauce. It was very good but not what we are used to on the Cheasapeake They may be the best fries you will ever have in your life. They come covered in crab meat, lobster butter and cheese. Honestly it that good!! The service is fantastic!! We will be back and bringing family!!

Visited at Happy Hour. The bar staff made it a very enjoyable visit, Had crab fingers in lemon garlic butter—tiny but very tasty. Bar fries were a little spicy but plentiful. Then had blackened snapper and it was delicious. Prices are reasonable and service was very good at the bar. Setting is fun because it is in the original Bookbinders in Old City.

Dropped in for the "buck a shuck", drink, and dinner. Ordered a rye rickey, which contained lime juice that tasted a bit old. Ordered a beer after the rickey to go with my oysters, which was great. Staff was friendly and attentive, though they were a little off when I first arrived. After we all warmed up, I ordered the blackened tuna, which was really nice. I had an enjoyable time. A nice atmosphere ... certainly a bar I'd visit again.

Went here with coworkers for an evening meal. This is a great example of a 1930s American restaurant and the décor and menus are all in line with this theme. Their specialty is seafood and it's exceptionally good. I'm a Brit so had to go for the fish and chips that were out of this world. They fry their fries in beef fat so they're super nice (I've found natural animal fats to be healthier than artificial fats). We had some small plates to start in particular the breaded fried oysters were so good and the fries with sauce. What I noticed most about this restaurant is that they do the food and the sauce impeccably well. Top ten and will definitely come back if I'm in Philadelphia again

I can't think of a more appropriate use of the storied Bookbinders space than what Chef Garces has done with the Olde Bar. Like Bookbinders, seafood is the theme, although served with a much more casual presentation. I had the fish and chips which did not live up to a restaurant attached to the Garces name. However, the drinks and especially the Fire House Punch were excellent. The Punch is sure to please and is offered at $6 during Happy Hour - between 4 and 6pm daily.

Loved this old bar! The food was really good too! This has much better prices than the restaurant across the street! Great, hometown feel with super food!

We've been hear a couple times and like how they reused the former Old Original Bookbinders space, in Society Hill.

I dined here for the first night of outdoor dining since Covid 19. Left my Chanel sunglasses on the table. I called an hour later and they supposedly had not seen them...yet every restaurant cleans well between tables since the pandemic. Makes sense right. So they stole my used Chanel sunglasses. Disgusting and despicable. Will never return and plan to tell all my friends and acquaintances about it. Really trashy

What a great place. My boyfriend is from South Philly so we came here to acquaint myself with the city and he took me to this place where we had the best oysters for a dollar apiece. Their house local beer was awesome also but the best part was our waiter, his name was “Andrew” he’s been here for only two years but he knew everything about the history of the building and we just adored him. Thanks bookbinder for the walk down memory lane.

Remembering an evening out with my father at Bookbinders, decades ago, I took my wife to the Olde Bar, to recapture the magic. The atmosphere is perfect. Dark wood, dim lights, uncrowded dinning space. But for a place that wants to excel at raw bar offerings, they simply missed their mark. Our shared wedge salad was fine. Cold, crisp and good. Likewise, a bowl of turtle soup has a wonderfully deep broth, but more celery and carrots then turtle. But, what should have been the showpiece of the meal, an $85 seafood tower, was more of a disappointment. The lump blue crab salad was quite good, and the 1/2 lobster was likewise good. The shrimp with roulmalade was populated with smallish soggy shrimp. The smallish oysters and raw clams were fresh and flavorful. But what is usual and expected was completely missing. No cocktail sauce, no tobasco, no lemon wedges, no crackers. Part of my enjoyment of any raw bar offering is, if not making, doctoring sauces.

Nice atmosphere and good food in the Old City district. Battered Cod was excellent. It was served alongside a simple greens salad and off the cob sweet corn. Ordered the buttered rolls which were served in their own skillet; average and a bit more firm than expected.

I wanted to like this place because of the history and the cool decor. Many pages of drink options but still hard to find that one really good cocktail. The bartender Sam although knowledgeable was not very friendly. Maybe this is part of the Olde atmosphere. I like to tip on service not just the product and he seemed too busy to chat or say "Welcome" or "Thank you." I would not return to The Olde Bar.

We went with some people from work that used to eat at bookbinders. Oysters are really fresh and there were some interesting flavours with the shots. Seafood was generally really good and I was sorry to not have ordered the lobster that one of our party had! Service was prompt but waitress was slightly dour

My husband and I decided to try a few of the happy hours around old town. The Olde Bar was by far the best. We ordered the fried shrimp and the Welsh rarebit. Great quality food and the Chardonnay and draft beer were nice too.

friendly staff and great happy hour prices and selections. i would definately visit this bar again. give it a try

We stopped in for a drink and ended up enjoying a bounty of delicious oysters after an informative conversation with the sou chef. Great bar atmosphere with a friendly staff.

Many years ago, I was doing work in Philly and loved going to eat at Bookbinders--it was an "institution" and much revered in the community. Business people really liked the convenience of the location. The building (outside and inside) was incredible. Our last night in Philadelphia, I wanted to eat there to see the changes. The concierge at the Hilton at Penn’s Landing told us that is now The Olde Bar--a short and safe walk from the Hilton. I still wanted to see it. The good news is that we arrived at Happy Hour! That took some of the "sting" out of my disappointment. I just remembered how great the place looked and missed the restaurant area, but the food and drinks were good. Oysters @ $1.00 each are hard to pass up. We enjoyed the experience, but it is just not the same!

Jose Garces' establishment housed in the space of the old original Bookbinders is great for all things seafood. The full raw bar is extensive, The crab cakes, lobster roll and the Cape Cod mussels are excellent. Service was friendly and efficient.

Right next to our Sheraton Hotel (must stay). We loved this place, sit at the bar and just relax. Pick a couple items to eat and sample a few different drinks.

we got here at 10 (they close at 11) and the wait staff was still friendly- serving us drinks and recommending a place nearby that served food later- and my coworker said it was the best old-fashioned he'd ever had (he was picky about some sort of cherries that are best in that drink, and apparently they had them and mixed up a great cocktail) we wanted to go back to try the seafood but schedules did not allow... next time

Great prices at happy hour for both food and drinks. (5-7 PM) Highly recommend the $1 oysters, the buffalo cauliflower and the turtle soup.

Heading back toward our hotel after a busy day of sightseeing we stopped in for dinner. Hostess asked if we had a reservation, so we got nervous but said no. Once we sat down we realized we were the *first* people in the dining room and that it was 5:45 🤣. Excellent service and good meal. We started with the buffalo cauliflower and had the market fish and the lobster roll. They bring out Parker House rolls fresh from the oven. For drinks we went with Harissa Explains It All (with grapefruit peel) and Wissahickon.

I like to find the oldest restaurants when we travel. This one seemed to fit the bill for Philadelphia. Name change from Bookbinders but the neon outside still says that. There is a bar with tables and then a dining room . We opted for the quieter dining area. Red check table cloths and lovely pictures of animals in clothes all round the room The Buck in breeches and a jacket in the hallway was particularly interesting to me. We both ordered the clam chowder and it had kind of a crispy cheese on top - just a bit different but quite delicious. We also both had a crab cake - possibly the biggest one I have ever seen, served with a little salad of watercress and pea shoots. We had no room for dessert . Shiny bread rolls brushed with butter were served warm. All very nice. Recommend a reservation.

The three star review is an average of a 4.5 food rating and a 1.5 service rating. Had oysters and lump crab meat as apps and both were excellent. Mains were the lobster roll and the fish special which was Scottish Salmon. Again both tasty and very high quality. The dessert was strawberry shortcake which was OK at best - would skip it. The problem was the service - slow and totally disinterested. Sometimes that just slows down a meal but in this case it adversely affected it as well. Couldn't get drinks with our entree because it took so long. Coffee came and was lukewarm. Even sparkling water ordered as we sat down took too long. Lastly we got a split of champagne which was kind of warm and it took forever to get a cold bucket. The reason I called the review 'Too Bad' is because the food and the room are good and we would like to go back. But there are too many great restaurants in Philly to go back despite the food.

My husband and I had a surprisingly and uniformly delicious meal tonight. The Rhode Island oysters were just briny enough and the chilled lobster was another great starter. I enjoyed moist and tasty lobster roll, but the star of the evening was my husband's crab cake. Service was pleasant and the courses had a nice leisurely pace. We shouldn't have ordered the baked Alaska, but I'm glad we did. We'll be back.

Such a lovely place. It’s upscale but not unapproachable. It was everything I enjoy about a restaurant: intimate tables, low lighting, dark wood furniture, lots of space and great food. I’m a sucker for tin ceilings. It has an old elegant vibe. We arrived about an hour early for our reservation but since it was early & we were all there, they graciously seated us. By the time we left, the place was packed. If you want to dine here, make a reservation. There were a few hiccups. The wait staff wasn’t attentive enough to refilling the water for our table of 6. It was often hard to get their attention. The appetizer order of bread we paid for was stale . . . as in hard as a rock. They claimed that they save stale bread to make croutons etc. which is fine but make sure the staff knows which they are selling & which is not for consumers. The buffalo cauliflower was amazing! Everyone loved their meals. Portions weren’t gigantic but you left full if you cleaned your plate.

I was staying at the Hilton and the power went out so I went to the Olde Bar to watch the NLCS game. The bartender was kind enough to take down the drink special board to turn the game on. I mistakenly had the Cardinals-Nationals game time incorrect and he looked for it for several minutes thinking I was right. So, I watched the Yankees-Astros game and again I was wrong thinking it was a replay of last nights game. I'm bad so my apology to you. Thank you for the great service and $1 oyster happy hour and Crab fingers!!

We were a party of 4 and 1/2, two couples and our 4-month old son, on a Thursday evening for dinner at 6:15. The ambiance is rather dark and old-school, as the restaurant retains much of what had been the famous Bookbinders restaurant in the 100 block of Walnut Street -- the "olde bar" is indeed a classic. The food ranged from satisfactory (lobster rolls, crab cakes) to excellent (snapper soup). The signature punch was terrific and there were many strong choices on the cocktail menu. Chesapeake oysters were available during the happy hour (until 7pm) for a buck each, and my husband and I enjoyed a dozen -- just like being back in Annapolis. Service was efficient but not quite as engaging and solid as we've experienced at similar or higher end places. It was difficult to decide on whether to rate this experience overall as "very good" or "average," but given the inconsistencies I've opted for the lower rating. Clearly there is a great deal of promise here at The Olde Bar -- I hope they raise the bar in the future.

Best since Peru. Stop by before or after the Ritz movie. Love the happy hour. Delicious seafood offerings, friendly atmosphere.

By all means go for the crab cake, best on an expensive menu. While it occupies the old bookbinders space it really isn't, best to keep the memories intact, if like us you remembered it fondly. The night we were there the happy hour menu included $1 oysters. Our server told us the wait was excessive, the shucker overworked. We heeded his advice. The next table did not and waited an hour. They were generously comped however.

We got a gift card for a Garces restaurant as part of a hotel package. We tried to go to a different one but the wait was ridiculous so we found this one, made a reservation and went ice skating while we waited. When we arrived at our reservation time, there was still a wait for a table. When we were finally seated, it took FOREVER for a server to acknowledge us. The food was alright, once we were served, but definitely not enough on the plate to make up for the high prices. We left hungry. It would have been better and cheaper to not use the gift card and go elsewhere. The decor and atmosphere of the restaurant is amazing though, enough to bump this review to three stars.

Called in on passing for a drink, it was quiet enough and thought couldn't be up to much. Had a seat at the bar. Well couldn't have been so wrong. Well timed just, the place packed up. Had some of the oysters and some more that good and so tasty and only $1. Had some other light bites mussels were great too. My husband tried the craft beers and thought nicest he's ever had. Great atmosphere and reasonably priced

This was fun, but mostly not extraordinary. The snapper soup with foamed Sherry was great. The oysters were fresh. The lobster roll was disappointing; served warm, with an oil based dressing, rather than with the mayo dressing as suggested on the menu. Fries were very good. Nothing special about the shrimp and grits. So ... for a lobster roll I would go elsewhere. For the shrimp and grits I would go elsewhere. For an extensive beer list I would go elsewhere. But for a glass of white wine and a bowl of snapper soup in a historic old room with a great location, who could ask for anything more? Take out is available through Caviar, apparently.

We always want to try new places, so we chose to stop by at The Olde Bar. Upon entering the place looked aged but very nice. We chose to sit at the bar, to which we should've known better. The bartender just didn't seem like he wanted to partake in doing his job. Everything seemed like a choir. We had to ask to place our beverage order. We then had to ask to place a food order. We then wanted to see the dinner menu since we were only provided a Happy Hour menu and although he said he would get one for us, they must've ran out because he never came back with one. Due to lack of interest from the bartender and considering their are several other places to try, we chose to close our tab and leave. The food Fat Beef Fries Steamed Mussels Raw Oysters Everything was tasty. Might go back...

I ate here for a working dinner with some colleagues while in Philly on business. We were uniformly disappointed by the size and price of the drinks (this is a strong statement, given that they were purchased via an expense account). The food was okay, nothing remarkable. I ate there a month ago and honestly can't even remember what I ordered, so that speaks to the quality of the food (certainly not bad, rather more lackluster). There are better and worse options in Philly; however, I would recommend that you pass on The Olde Bar

We chose The Olde Bar as our last Christmas event-we were hoping to capture the feel of The Original Bookbinders and we did...a little. The Christmas decorations were lovely, so we were excited from the onset. Staff was super friendly, but the menu was limited-really limited. We ordered a few appetizers but really saw little that would be described as meals. Broiled oysters were luke warm at best and would have a hard time even describing them as broiled. Fries were overly seasoned and much more salt than a salt lover like myself enjoyed. We did share strawberry shortcake for dessert and that was GREAT; however, next time we'll probably just go to what we know around the corner.

We had dinner at The Olde Bar on seafood fest night. My husband had the fish and chips and I had the shrimp and grits. Being from the south and having had shrimp and grits in Charleston and Savanah, my expectations were at a pretty high level. I did not like the presentation at all (heads still on the shrimp/prawns) and the taste was not very good. My husband's fish and chips had almost a pungent taste. From the vinegar we thought. It was an expensive meal and we did not enjoy it. We would not go back.

We were on our Holiday Cheer trip to Philly and stopped here since I had been to the Old Bookbinders about 30 yrs ago. It was wonderful! We got there for happy hour and sat at the bar. Drinks were very reasonable and so were the bar appetizers. Hubby got the oysters that were a buck a shuck. He said they were the best! Appetizers were wonderful also! Definitely we will come back!

Had oysters and fries, food was good, sat outside, nice atmosphere, good happy hour. Service was a bit slow since the restaurant was not very busy.

A historic restaurant in society hill section. Beautiful lead glass doors and woodwork in the bar. Stopped by for a specialty cocktail and could not resist the crab fries!

I came in here for happy hour and had duck fat fries and fried shrimp. The duck fat fries were nice hand cut fries with bland dipping sauce and the fried shrimp were good but the batter wasn't as good as I expected although the shrimp itself was very fresh and good

Went to dinner here with my 17 year old daughter. We were seated quickly, but it went down hill from there. Our waitress basically ignored us for the first 5 minutes. When she finally showed up, she was less than enthusiastic to wait upon us. She checked in on us once or twice after the initial interaction, but basically we were left on our own. I did, however, notice that she was very attentive to her other tables...actually chatting them up. No idea why we were treated so differently...only thought is that she saw us as a low tip table because we weren't drinking alcohol...but that's clearly just a guess. The food was fine. Nothing too exciting or creative. If we went back to Philly, we will not be returning here and I would not recommend it to others. There are some great restaurants in Philly and this is not one of them. Don't waste your time.

Came here after a convention. Turned out it was restaurant week which allowed us to dine at a very good price. The shrimp Cocktail was great! I had salmon with sunchoke and it was excellent. I would have really liked to see a clam chowder on the menu.

From the beginning to the end, we enjoyed every moment at The Olde Bar. The staff were extremely friendly. We started with salads, both very good and then we had the seafood tower which was amazing. For our entree we had the seafood grill which is for two and it was phenomenal. Everything was cooked to perfection -the lobster melted in your mouth, the bacon was a wonderful surprise but I have to say the sauce was out of this world - seasoned perfectly. Even the corn was something to rave about. The whole vibe of the place is warm and welcoming . Feels like you are in a speakeasy. Can't wait to go here again.

The Olde Bar opened a few years ago in the Old Original Bookbinder's, a historical Philadelphia building and they have done a great job of maintaining the original quality and atmosphere. Walk in (no reservations) to find items from the olde menu, including fried clams, crab cakes, snapper soup, etc., plus the raw bar with oysters, clams and shrimp. There are five entrees, plus three lobster options. I visited the Original Bookbinder's with my parents at a young age and asked for crab meat on toast which turned out to be medallions of claw meat in such profusion that I didn't have room to finish the toast. After about 60 years, this still ranks as my third favorite meal of all time. So happy to see Bookbinder's open again.

This bar and restaurant is hopping with happy clients. We were treated like royalty when we arrived, seated at a pretty table with a drink to await our table, since we arrived too early. People of all ages were enjoying the classic and specialty cocktails at the bar. We ate at a booth in the bar area. The food was really terrific, and our server, Janelle, made good recommendations. We had Frito Misto, Lobster Pot Pie, and Lobster Roll. Numerous people checked to see if we needed anything. Really a fun and relaxing experience.

Definitely worth a visit to sample one of the drinks on their unique cocktail menu. Beautiful historic building with lots of character. The only disappointment was the lack of interest by the bartenders--they seemed interested in certain clientele only. Not a deal breaker, but definitely a disappointment.

This place is definitely in my top 5 Philadelphia brunches and I’ve sampled at quite a few places. (I also love the brunches in both Kimpton hotels and the brunches at Ela and Strangelove’s.) We also enjoyed the parker house rolls with cherry fig jam on the side. I’ve never had a bad parker house roll but the jam was a great touch! Some other notes: Our server was very nice. We enjoyed the space/design. We were sat in the bar area. Even when it’s sunny outside, this space is still quite dark if you’re not near the door. (I know some people who aren’t a fan of this but we didn’t mind.) The sparkling brunch cocktail tasted exactly like champagne with vodka to me (and nothing else) but the dark cherry in the bottom was delish! The server’s uniforms are spot-on for the space/concept—Garces knows his stuff (of course)!

Two adults and a three year old went this evening for dinner. New England clam chowder was ordered. Although I was told it was tasty it included 1 clam. Deviled eggs ere for the 3 year old. I asked if it was spicy and was assured it was not. However it was covered with a red spicy herb. Y friend and I ordered the 55.00 eafoos grill which was, in fact, cooked in broth. For the money we received 1/2 small lobster, 2 overcooked small prawns, a few clams, corn, (1 cob cut into 1/4), lots of potatoes & bread. Not much for two as advertised and way overpriced. I will not go back.

Thats it. Clams, oysters and chowder. Cool old antique style decor. Great wait staff. Part of the Old Original Bookbinders which is now closed except for private events. If you like shellfish you should try this.

Went to Philly to visit my Cousin Sam who had never been to Bookbinders. I tried to make a reservation but found out it closed a couple of years ago.The menu is still heavy on seafood, but is more limited than Bookbinders. It was restaurant week with 4 courses for $35. You had a choice of 2 shrimp or oysters, a salad or an appetizer, a main course and dessert. Wine list is good. Most of the original Bookbinders interior and facade is still there. It's also a nice, historic neighborhood to walk around

We went at happy hour made a reservation for 530 with open table. We got there at 5. Got an email from open table that we were a no show. 20 calls to the restaurant went unanswered. Cut off after 4 rings. Never again!

Oysters, great tapas, drinks and service are top drawer! Hope this sticks around for a long time. So many tourist traps in Olde city it is a pleasure to find a great hangout

Recently stopped here for an after dinner cocktail- as soon as we sat down the bartender told us they were making last call in 15 minutes and it was only a bit after 11pm so we were a bit shocked about that. We ordered one round- as we were having our cocktail we noticed more people coming in so I was surprised they wanted to close- they dropped the check pretty quickly and even attempted to pick it up before we paid- you could tell the bartenders just wanted to get out of there- shame to turn down business when you have customers in front of you. No rush to go back- rather enjoy my cocktails with a bartender who wants to make money!

If you are looking for oysters, look no further! The Olde Bar has them and they are superb...for just a buck a shuck you get the basics and they are great. For a bit more, they have the goods with a great selections of East and West coast delectables. And to top it all off, Gary the shuckster is extremely knowledgeable and will fill you in on all details while he does his thing behind the bar. To top it off, the cocktail selection is one of the best in the city.

This restaurant is located in the site of the former Bookbinders restaurant. Reviews indicated it was living up to its predecessors reputation. We walked out. The most appetizing thing on the menu was the burger..for $18.00.

Our last night in Philadelphia and wanted sea food. It was too late to make reservations for our last night and I Googled restaurants in the area of the Hilton at Penn’s Landing. We found The Olde Bar, 8 minute walk from the Hilton. Much our surprise it was Happy Hour too. Oysters @ $1.00 and a nice white at half price. No resevations were available, we decided to go and use the Hilton restaurant as our backup. The hostess remembered my calling and gave us a booth for four. What a treat that was.! We started with a dozen oysters and a nice white wine, breaded shrimp app, and decided to have another dozen oysters. Our main course, shared was TOD Grilled Platter. It was outstanding..!! Half a lobster, prawns, clams, mussels, corn, small potatoes and bacon 1 inch long 1/4” thick. It was to die for...!!

Came for a work dinner. We used a side room for private dining for a prix fixe meal. The buffalo cauliflower was delicious as was everything else. The drinks were also great.

The Lobster risotto was poor in flavor and the rice was off cooking point ! Service was not good as well, lack of attention … Overall an expensive bad experience

Have a bowl of their famous Snapper Soup and crab cakes are excellent. New owners and new name. Has been there forever.

Located in the orginal Bookbinder's building in the historic, Old City neighborhood, The Olde Bar keeps the classic decor and adds excellent, Garces-inspired seafood classics, outstanding cocktails and attentive service to create a great destination restaurant and bar experience. My wife and I celebrated our 20th anniversary on a relatively quiet Wednesday evening and were treated like VIPs by our waitress and the manager. After enjoying cocktails and our entrees (crab cakes and striped bass, respectively) we were served complimentary champagne and dessert. All in all, an outstanding evening.

First, I've never written a bad review on a restaurant and I apologize for this review being so long. If the experiences are mixed (service, food, management,) I'll give the place another shot, maybe somebody was just having a bad day or they were working through some operational issues in the front of the house or the kitchen. I've never written a review on those places, preferring to give them the benefit of the doubt. If I have a good or great experience I'll not only recommend it to friends but let others know about it with a review. However, our experience at the Olde Bar was by far the worst I've and the members of our party experienced in over 40 years of traveling and eating 1000's of restaurant meals over that time. I can't and won't spend any time detailing the issues but here are a few: They couldn't book our table for 20 so we gladly settled into 2 tables in separate rooms, one for 12 and one for eight. They'd set up one table for 11 but no problem for us. Except the manager insisted and argued with our group about putting an extra chair at the end of the table for 12. They didn't have the servers, the table was too small for 12 etc. etc. Oh, and I forgot to mention, there were a total of two other two person tables occupied in the restaurant while we were there. Server was completely inattentive, everything was a problem for him (which I'd never heard from any server from any restaurant about our group). He mentioned several times that this was probably going to be his last night there. We are respectful professional people who've been in a variety of businesses from large companies to independent business people. In fact, one of our group owned a very nice Southern style restaurant in North Carolina. We always leave a gratuity of between 25 and 30%, understanding that this provides a little boost to their income. individual entrees were overcooked (Salmon), cold(Lobster Pot Pie) or way oversalted and overcooked (pork chop) At the end of the night (around 9:45) we were basically shown the door. Direct quote If you want dessert you'll be eating it in the kitchen. We were going to have an after dinner drink in the bar. Nope, closing at 10 and they already had last call (at 9:45). Apparently the locals learned enough to not patronize the Olde Bar. Again, there were only 2 other 2 tops being served in the dining room. Finally, we'd asked them to split the bill into two parts prior to sitting down. No problem until they brought the bill to the table. Can't do that. I do not want or expect a response from you, I know you're a large restaurant group. It's just a matter of letting our group tell you about our extremely poor experience. For $2300 in business, plus a tip of 25% I'd expect some level of professionalism and concern for the customers. The customer is not always right, sometimes they are unreasonable, have expectations that can't be delivered anywhere and treat staff inappropriately. That isn't our group.

Dropped by on an weekend evening while staying at the Sheraton next door. Book online to ensure you have a table and avoid waiting. The food was ok. Decor was old fashioned and thats what sells this place I guess. Definitely worth a meal if you are looking for an old fashioned bar/saloon experience.

This restaurant has the old Bookbinders facade out front. I had an apple cider to creak, 6 Oysters at Happy Hour pricing and a bowl of lobster Bisque. All were very tasty.

I love this place, BUT ! I have been coming here for a couple of years almost every weekend or when ever I am in Philly and allways bring family and friends, of more then five people. BUT ! I had my family and out of state friends. Had made reservation for ten people, but, did have more people . We were told that we can only be seated at two difference tables for Only five people, CAN NOT put an extra chair (1) at the table. And the table for ten was reserved and that there is an up charge for that table. There were many Empty tables and the TEN person "up charged table" was empty all the time we were there and did not even have any "set ups " on the table . one of out guest was so disappointed with all of this that she and her people decide to leave. I am very sad about how we were treaded that even tho I really like Book Binders and the wait staff I do not think I can Ever go back to the OLD Bar Book Binders.

I am a fan of Garces other places and I was a fan of Old Bookbinders. I decided to drop by to check out the spot and was pleased with how it felt comfortable (high-top tables & large bar area). The decor could use a makeover, but we came for the drinks and food- so that won't stop me from enjoying van establishment if it is fairly priced. Me and friends had some cocktails and a few drafts during our visit. We asked about the raw and was told about buck-a-shucks at happy hour...so will be back for that for sure. We had a few small bites- deviled eggs and beef fat fries and Iceberg Wedge. The food was average, but I will give it a pass because it is not main dishes..entrees. I will be back to sample more on the menu and have more drinks. I am happy that the Philly Institution of Bookbinders is living on through The Olde Bar's new flavor!

Enjoyed the deviled eggs, Turtle soup, and THE BEST CRAB CAKES! Try a specialty cocktail, Thanks to Matt and Dan for a wonderful evening.

We had drinks at the bar one evening and dinner another. Wonderful old bar with a good selection of mixed drinks, beer and wines. Really enjoyed it. The dining room is OK with "unusual" graphics on the walls. Service very good and friendly. Seafood (Char with spiced cauliflower and Crab cake) was delicious. Not crowded so we enjoyed the quiet atmosphere.

7.28.18 Stopped in here and this bar is part of the legendary Bookbinders which went bankrupt. The place has a lot of history but frankly needs to be totally cleaned up as the place is dirty. the Doctor Hit me with some BIG LOVE ❤️💕 and a helpful VOTE!

This Salmon was served with a lemon, white wine and caper sauce. The skin was still crispy and the fish was cooked perfectly. The sauce was sooo good and went perfectly with the salmon. This was a special for the night so not sure if it is a regular dish. Service was very friendly I sat outside which is great to do if the weather permits. Wine was good and the rolls were presented nice in the little cast iron skillet. I did not try the oysters this time but they have a very nice oyster bar set up and I will definitely try them next time. I really want to give the Olde Bar 5 stars but the Snapper soup which sounded really good and not typical for a menu was fine but not great. It was just a very basic soup. But overall a very yummy meal and definitely worth a visit and return visit.

The building is historic and was the old and famous bookbinders and now The Old Bar. Happy hour is super inexpensive and food was ideal. Oysters for $1.00, cant beat that!

Missed all round. Fish and chips would have been better with Mrs Paul's. Wedge salad called terrible. Burger was just OK. Combined with bill and card mess up, lesson learned, will not return.

Had a great experience here. Wonderful food & great staff. The lobster roll was amazing. We had our own table that was distanced far enough from others that I felt very safe dining inside - even during the pandemic.

We thought being a celebrity chef's location it would be good....but it isn't. Nothing spectacular about the food, the ambiance, the service or the drinks, save only for the baked Alaska which was decent. Honestly there are better places to spend your time and money! God eat a cheesesteak !

Great bar with great food including oysters! What a perfect bar in a great location. This is old bar. Old style old values quality drinks and super great beers. I could live here.

Had a great time sampling local oysters in the Old City. A must for seafood lovers great service and decor. Hit the spot for trying east coast variations of oysters. Like all seafood places price reflects it. But worth the historical building and seemingly library style dining since tables are spread out for CoVid. Make a reservation and enjoy the fresh seafood.

We loved how cool the Olde Bar is! Love the retro vibe and the food was excellent as well. This is the perfect place for date night!

Great price for happy hour...good selection of drinks and comfy. Else, potion is great with the quality of food.

This is a great restaurant in a historic building. I heard about this restaurant on the TV, and as I was here decided to give it a try. Glad I did, as it was a god choice. The Olde Bar is part of the original Bookbinders. There is a lot of space in this building and the Olde Bar is the original bar area, which has been renovated. Complete with metal ceiling tiles, and candles on the bar, this place looks the goods. When here make sure that you try the raw bar. The oysters here are excellent. They have a great choice of beers and a huge selection of spirits and cocktails. Service was excellent and the food exceeded expectations. Put this one on the list when in Philadelphia.

This successor to the old Bookbinder's tries, but does not succeed. The bar is crowded, and it is hard to get reservations. I had the snapper soup, which is just okay, but the menu is small and the place seems run down. A disappointment.

The Olde Bar was recommended by friends - we went and had crab cakes - they were quite good but the service - quite frankly stunk (I'll be nice) just disappointing.

Nice bar opened in an old Bookbinders restaurant. Good for a quiet drink with friends. A few 5$ apps for Happy Hour. Good mixed drinks. Nice dark wood bar with a nautical theme.

Upon entering this restaurant, we very confused as to what to make of the space. It looks like Jose Garces just slapped some things together and called it a restaurant. Bar area is dark and looks uninviting. The main dining room was an awful space to have dinner. Again, it looks like someone put tables and chairs together from other restaurants and made a dining room. Hardly any decor and the space could benefit from some attention. Also, our food was terrible. Apps included a wedge salad that did not come with the dressing and some pickled onions that didn't belong on the salad and some oven dried tomatoes that was just plopped on the plate. Snapper soup was tasteless. Dinner: Chicken Kiev - AWFULL!!!! over cooked, sauce dried up under heat lamp and morel mushrooms were rubbery. Lobster roll was $26 and first bite contained a large piece of something that did not belong in the lobster salad. Beautiful old location that could seriously benefit from some attention by the owner!!!!!!!!!!!

We were on a day trip into town and my husband and I were intrigued that part of the old Bookbinders was open for business. Loved the oysters, loved the snapper soup, the clam chowder was delicious. Some of the portions were on the small side and the service was not terrific. That said, we absolutely enjoyed the east vs. west oyster taste off (east coast won). We will go back for the oysters and snapper soup.

Our food was AMAZING! We started with cocktails. The Old Fashioned was well done! Not all Old Fashions are created equal, and this was very good (I had Bulleit Bourbon). We had 6 oysters, and they were fabulous. The arugula apple salad with the house vinegrette was refreshing and had a wonderful surprise of fried cheese ... really delicious fried cheese hidden under it. The lobster roll had large chunks of prime lobster on a buttered, toasted, split-top roll. If you like seasoned fries, these were the best I've ever had. Ask for Darwin. He did a great job as our waiter! But wait ... let's not forget dessert. The apple pie sundae! 3 scoops of cinnamon ice cream dizzled with carmel over an apple pie compote and topped with carmel corn ... YES! carmel corn! OH MY!!!